Shaquille O’Neal has some words of wisdom for the stumbling, bumbling, fumbling, potentially feuding New York Knicks.
Trust Phil Jackson and the famed triangle offense.
I’m paraphrasing, of course. That’s not Shaq’s message verbatim, but it’s close.
The Big Aristotle went on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel on Tuesday and talked with Stephen A. Smith about the Knicks’ current situation. Here’s a (rather large) snippet of the conversation that took place:
Stephen A. Smith: “How do you think [Phil Jackson] is going to turn this around or, dare I say, do you even think it is possible that he can turn this around?”
Shaq: “Well, one, he’s not gonna change his culture and he shouldn’t. My advice to Carmelo and them is learn it, master it, and add your little twist to it. Everybody can easily say, ‘Yeah, you can win championships if you’ve got Michael, Scottie, Kobe and Shaq.’ That’s true, but if you talk about the historical moments in the triangle, what about Steve Kerr being in the right place at the right time, what about Jud Buechler and Brian Williams and Robert Horry and Brian Shaw having certain games. That’s because they believed in the system, they knew where to be at certain times, and then were there. You know, my favorite shot was when Big Shot Rob hit that shot at the top of the key (in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals). You know why he was up there at the top of the key? Because that’s where he was supposed to be. So my advice to Carmelo and the guys is just study it, master it, ask questions, but do it hard. A lot of times, like I see the point guard’s making a pass and they’re getting into the triangle, but they’re doing it lackadaisical. You’ve got to sprint to the spot, you’ve got to move, because it’s not pretty basketball but, as you know Stephen A., it’s old school basketball – cut, movement, back door, lay-ups, trickery, and it’s effective.”
Most of what O’Neal says is correct. Shit, all of it’s correct. He won three NBA titles under Jackson, playing in the triangle. Who am I or you or the person sitting beside you to question Shaq Daddy? There are plenty of teams through the game’s history—most of which were coached by Jackson—that have shown the triangle can work.
But the game has evolved. Cuts, back-door layups and general trickery still have their place, but the NBA is a drive-and-kick, pick-and-roll and three-point shooting league. The Knicks must manipulate the triangle to adapt. They need to shoot more three-pointers while averting mid-range jumpers. The pick-and-roll needs to be reintroduced into their bottom-10 offense.
The triangle needs to be modernized.
And it can be modernized.
Kobe Bryant ran pick-and-roll with Shaq for years. That 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers team that lost in the NBA Finals found a way to play with pace. The Knicks themselves, meanwhile, have shown there is room for contemporary three-point volume on more than one occasion. It’s just a matter of rolling everything together—commingling tenets old and new.
Then, and only then, will the Knicks climb out of the gutter they’re currently trapped in.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
